I would like to know the history about the Gotha Speed Equipment Co. They were in Harvey, Illinois. I have a few pieces for my Olds motor and am looking to find out some details. Anybody have the lowdown on this small hotrod company from the late 40's early 50's? Would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Curbspeed
Thanks HRjosh, Those are the same valve covers I have. I also picked up a 6 carb log manifold that will be going on the car next winter.Here's a pic of my freshly completed chassis.
One of us hamb guys must know some history. Josh, Did that coupe have a Gotha intake on it? I can't tell. Thanks Dale
Curbspeed: you might want to call Glen at the Salem Ore. speed shop. he has been around longer that most of us. ph 503-364-4832 between 2:30 to 5 pm tue. thru fri only. i got a set of NOS gotha adjustable olds rocker arms from him years ago to use on a olds engine i have, but so far they are still in the box. would sure like to find a set of the valve covers tho.
curbspeed;it's turning out awesome, except for that damn alternator! want me to build you a generator?
Where did your Roto Faze distributor go? I'd get it running with the stock the stocker too! Have you sent yours down to be reworked yet? Brock
Curbspeed, I don't have any history other than this N.O.S. set of adjustable rocker arms for my RedRam Hemi. According to the instructions and original water decal they were located in Frankfort, Illinois. In fact, their address on the box was, Gotha, Inc. Box G Frankfort, Illinois Phone 5152 How old is it when your phone number only has 4 digits?
The exhaust rockers on my 392 are Harvey Gotha aluminum rockers. How rare are they? What's the chance I'll break one of them with a moderate cam and HD single springs? Thanks. -Jeff
Call the Frankfort public library and find out if he advertised in the yellow pages or a city directory, and what years Call the city and county historical societies and ask if their old race track or county fair race photos are indexed and cataloged by surname. Chat with them a bit. Call the chamber of commerce and ask if any races are still held around there, get a couple phone numbers. Call the local Better Business Bureau and find out if any machine shops or car shops from "the day" are still around, then ask them Any Gothas in the phone book? Gotta be a relative. Who knows, maybe his built Latham 392 is under a tarp in the niece's shed
Wow! Thanks for the response. George, That alt is an early one. Generator would have a clearance problem with the fuel lines. Once you see it in person you won't mind it. Finish, and fins look killer with my other finned stuff. I am gonna run a killer sound system in this bitch and I don't want any problems. Don't worry. You not the first guy to give me shit. If I can find a short 12 volt generator that looks good I'll put it on. Early Roto-Faze will be put on this winter after I work the bugs out along with the early Gotha LM101 log manifold. I need to round up 3 more big logo Stromberg 97's and a few bucks. George? You ever gonna make it to the HOTROD-A-RAMA? RPU should debut with some luck.
don't mind me,i'm a diehard generator freak i don't have a stereo though... when and where is hot-rod-orama???
Gotha, as you know, is long gone. My cousin, Pat McHenry, was their one and only machinist. He was there from the beginning until the end and dealt with both of the owners. His deal with the original owner was that he would spend the entire winter making all the products, enough for the entire year's inventory. He would then race motorcycles with the AMA, (national number #41 for over 40 years and track champion at Santa FE Speedway in Chicago for the 1958 and 1959 season. He could race anywhere and any time he pleased. But, if any item in stock ran out or low, he had to come home and build the stock back up. He told me that he only had that happen once. He lived in Lincoln Estates just outside Joliet, Illinois. I last visited him, on my way home to California after the 2016 100th Indy 500. He still had a set of Gotha rockers and another item which I can't remember right now. He had kept them as a remembrance of his time at Gotha. The original owner sold out and Pat stayed on with the new owner, and had the same agreement. The new owner old had the company a short time before he closed the doors. Pat told me he didn't like the new guy, and suspected that he had mob connections. Pat passed away on Christmas Eve about 3 years ago, and was the last living connection with Gotha. I wish I had talked to him much more, looking back now. We talked back and forth at least once a month for years and occasionally he would remember some story while he worked for Gotha. By the way, the name is pronounced Go-tha, not Gotha as in Gothic or Gotham. I called it Gotha one time many years ago and was promptly and sternly corrected. I know of no person that could help you since it was always a two or three person operation. Pat was the last to pass away. The others were much older. The good thing for me is that I have run into people with Gotha equipment and all of them that I talked to were pleased with what they had and wished they knew more about the company. After the company closed, Pat spent the rest of his career working as a tool and die maker for Panduit. Pat came in at the beginning and was friends with Mr. Panduit himself. Anyway, that is all I know about Gotha and my cousin's association with it. Since his passing, I have become the longest living McHenry and wish I had asked LOTS more questions of Pat and many others when they were still here.
@deucemac your Uncle Pat had another friend at Panduit, Bobby Vodnick who drove to an Indy win in AA/D against Garlits in 1963 was also a toolmaker there.
@deucemac did you end up with your cousins rockers that he kept? The reason I ask is that I have a set of rockers that may be Gotha's but have no name on them. Wondered what they may look like.
No, I didn't, some of the more important items were held back by his daughter and a few cousins near by..
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